Albanese Meats and Poultry Celebrates 100 Years of Butcher Shop | Eater NY
"When I step into Albanese Meats & Poultry on Elizabeth Street in Little Italy, I’m met with a century of family-run charm: a display case of bone-in rib-eye, whole chickens, and Italian sausages; boxes of dried pasta and even fake sausages by Yuki & Daughters dangling from the windows and poles; and walls dotted with postcards, old photographs, painted portraits, faded newspaper clippings, mint-green paint, bright red brick, and a timeless collection of vintage butcher supplies that felt like their own little museum. Jennifer Prezioso, the fourth-generation butcher who now runs the shop alone, chats with customers about Tuscan-style pâtés, pork rinds, and salumi, hands a regular their standard-order duck breast, and worries aloud about how to let people enjoy the space while helping the store make money. The shop’s history — opened by Vincenzo Albanese after immigrating from Sicily, stewarded by her great-grandmother Mary and later by the late Moe “the Butcher” Albanese, who famously coaxed customers into trying his “gotcha” rib-eye — is woven into every corner, and the store has appeared in documentaries, New York historical food tours, and productions like The Godfather Part III and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Despite a devoted community of longtime and new customers who praise the freshness and character of the meat, the shop faces real financial hurdles: it doesn’t own the building, lacks commercial rent stabilization, and competes with delivery services and big grocery chains. Prezioso has been learning the trade from Moe, rebuilding operations, filming for Instagram, and planning new initiatives — tote bags, meal kits, and reimagining the space for events and pop-ups — even as she quietly marked the shop’s 100th year and hesitated to throw a big celebration for fear of bad luck. Ultimately, I found the place to be a bright, living link to Little Italy’s past and a community hub that Prezioso is trying to sustain for the future." - Jess Eng
